MLB: Dodgers balance out – Astros win game 1 in Fenway

The Los Angeles Dodgers have equalized the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers after a veritable changeover aria. Justin Turner became the late saviour. The Houston Astros, on the other hand, won a tight 1 game at the Boston Red Sox in the end clearly.

As in game 2 of NLCS 2017, Justin Turner once again became the saviour for the Dodgers. At that time he beat a Walk-Off-Homerun against the Chicago Cubs, this time it was a 2-Run-Homerun in the eighth inning to the first and final lead for Los Angeles.

Before that, pitching determined what happened. Until the fourth inning there was nothing to see except a spectacular catch by Lorenzo Cain, who stole a safe home run by David Freese above the Outfield wall.

Only in the fifth inning Dodgers starter Hyun-Jin Ryu began to weaken. Francisco Arcia hit a homerun over the wall in Center Field – it was only his fifth homer overall in the year, his second in the postseason. After a single by Pitcher Wade Miley and a double by Cain it was time for Ryu. It was Ryan Madson, who finally handed over a RBI-Fielder’s-Choice to Ryan Braun, before he finished the inning at 0:2 from Dodgers point of view.

Miley in turn pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings and was perhaps the most effective offensive man in his team with two hits in two At-Bats (single, double, run). In the sixth inning, then, the home team increased to 3-0 by a home run from Travis Shaw.

On the Mound, right-handed Corbin Burnes took over, who got into trouble in the seventh inning and finally handed over an RBI single to Cody Bellinger. Jeremy Jeffress, who allowed the 3:2 with a bases-loaded walk by Austin Barnes, then striked out Yasmani Grandal.

By the way, Grandal was the Dodgers’ last bench player in the game, and manager Dave Roberts had no other position players left in his hindquarters afterwards. Jeffress came back in the eighth inning and finally gave the 2-Run-Homerun to Turner.

The Dodgers almost emptied their entire bullpen, so Pedro Baez, Caleb Ferguson and Kenta Maeda each contributed an out in the inning. The Dodgers used a total of eight pitcher, the Brewers six.

The ninth inning was then pitched by Closer Kenley Jansen, who except for one walk didn’t let anything burn. Compensation in series.

The NLCS will continue the night of Tuesday at 1:39 a.m. (live on DAZN) at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

The Astros “steal” game 1 in a foreign country and thus a game that was open for a very long time. Only in the ninth inning, when the pitching of the Red Sox broke apart, did the landlords move away.

Game 1 of the ALCS was intense from the beginning and began for the Red Sox little promising. Starter Chris Sale (4 IP, H, 2 ER, 4 BB) already gave a walk against lead-off hitter George Springer, but the Astros didn’t capitalize on it.

After that Justin Verlander (6 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 4 BB) also had his problems on the Astros side. He directly admitted a lead-off single to Mookie Betts and waltzed J.D. Martinez with an out. But then Xander Bogaerts beat Bogaerts in a double play.

Sales problems with the location worsened in the second inning: With two outs he gave a walk to Carlos Correa, met Martin Maldonado with a pitch and then also walked Josh Reddick. The result: A 2-Run-Single by George Springer for 2:0 for Houston. After that Sale started and at least didn’t give up a run until the end of the fourth inning.

Verlander cruiste meanwhile, until he also got into trouble in the fifth inning. He loaded the bases with two walks and then walked home a run against Mitch Moreland. Afterwards the right-hander allowed the equalization by a Wild Pitch. The inning ended with a questionable strikeout call against Andrew Benintendi, who complained loudly to Home Plate Umpire James Hoye and threw his equipment away in frustration. Manager Alex Cora intervened and was finally expelled from the field.

But the astros did not let themselves be disturbed by it and hit back directly in the sixth inning. Bregman opened the inning with a hit-by-pitch by Reliever Joe Kelly, who hit him at the elbow with a 100-mile-an-hour fast ball. Correa punished this with a 2-Out-RBI-Single to 3:2.

While the Red Sox gritted their teeth at the pitching of the guests – Verlander pitched a sovereign sixth inning and then handed it over to the bullpen – the Astros constantly created more base runners, but didn’t use these chances in the end. Until the ninth inning came.

In the same match Josh Reddick hit a home run in the Center Field against Pitcher Brandon Workman (1/3 IP, 4 ER) and increased it to 4:2. Then the Red Sox fell apart. Workman gave Walks to Springer and Jose Altuve and Yuli Gurriel finished with a 3-Run-Homerun in the Right Field.

The bottom line was that the pitchers of the Red Sox all had their problems with control. They distributed ten walks and dropped three batteries. Especially after the hit-by-pitch against Alex Bregman there was a Brawl in the air, but Catcher Sandy Leon calmed down the situation.

During the night to Monday (1.09 a.m. live on DAZN) game 2 is scheduled at Fenway Park. The Red Sox will be under a lot of pressure.

This article was published without prior review by Major League Baseball.